Press & Media

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos announces she will vote against the fourth short-term budget extension

After voting three times in the last year to give Speaker Ryan more time to work on a long-term budget, Bustos says enough is enough

Washington – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) announced that she will vote against Speaker Ryan’s fourth short-term budget extension in a year. Bustos, who previously supported short-term extensions, decided that it’s time for the Republican Majority to stop kicking the can down the road.

“Washington Republicans often talk about how they want to run the government more like a business, but everybody knows you can’t run a business based on short-term, month-to-month budgeting,” said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. “I have already voted three times for short-term band aids to give us time to resolve these issues. Right before Christmas, I voted to give Speaker Ryan yet another opportunity to work with us on a bipartisan, long-term solution to fund the government. Instead, he gave Congress an extra week off and now he expects us to vote on a fourth short-term budget without making any progress on a long-term plan.

“The federal government spends about $4 trillion every year and it’s irresponsible for the Republican majority to determine how those tax dollars are spent by jumping from one self-imposed midnight crisis to the next. These Washington games undermine communities like mine where the Rock Island Arsenal, Thomson Prison and our National Guard bases are expected to plan for the future while Congress keeps threatening to pull the rug out from under them. I want to be crystal clear about my support for our military, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Community Health Clinics, the Dreamers and all of the functions of government that our economy depends on – and I stand ready to work around the clock, through the weekend and for as long as it takes to hash out a bipartisan agreement.”